The Darkness

1 John 3:10

This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

A few weeks ago, the tornadoes that ravaged part of our state was eerily close to my house. At 3:30pm, it felt like someone had turned off the lights outside. Despite the hail, rain, thunder and lightening, you could still see. But it was dark and frightening.


Jesus was nailed to the Cross at approximately 9am. For 3 hours, He endured insults, nakedness, embarrassment, mental torture - not to mention the physical pain that pulsated through His suffocating body. But at high noon, when the sun should have been at it's brightest - an eerie, pitch black darkness blanketed the whole earth. Can you imagine?

Do you know what this was???

God's anger was permeating the atmosphere. His judgement was falling. Jesus was enduring the wrath of God. God had turned away from His Son for the first time ever. Do you remember Him sweating drops of blood in the Garden of Gethsemane? This was what Jesus dreaded most.

Out of love for you and for me, God sent Jesus to be our substitute. He endured the full force of God's wrath for what must have seemed like an eternity. My sins; your sins - came between Jesus and the Father. What Jesus went through is beyond our ability to imagine or describe.

We catch a glimpse into what was going on in Jesus' heart from the writer of the 22nd Psalm:

:1 My God, my God why have you forsaken me?

Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?

:2 O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer...

Jesus endured hell for you and for me. When we claim Him as our sacrifice for sin, we will never have to be separated from God, because Jesus was.

At approximately 3pm - after 3 hours of total darkness and hell, Jesus asked for a drink. And with a voice that reverberates through the ages, He said, "It is finished." With that, He bowed His head and gave up His Spirit. The price for your salvation and mine was paid in full.

Have you personally claimed Him as your only sacrifice for sin? Or are you counting on the fig leaves of religion, morality, good environmental living or the good person rule to make you right with God?

You may not love God, but He loves you. (It's okay to be honest.) He loves you so much, that He went through hell in order to have a personal relationship with you. As with any friendship, you can only have a personal relationship by spending daily time together. Going to church once or twice a week makes for a shallow friendship - especially when the waves and tsunami's of life pound on the shores of our life.

The study, Establishing a Vibrant Quiet Time and Prayer Time is a great how to study. Stay tuned next week for a special offer.

Have a great weekend!

Nakedness on the Cross

Remember that horrible sin I wrote about last week?

You know, that bad thing that you would never want anyone to know about.

That bad thing that you want suppressed and never surfaced again.

Not to mention, the everyday... shall I say... shortcomings. (Complaining, grumbling, yelling, anger, rage, potty mouth, critical and judgemental thoughts - just to name a few.)

Why am I bringing these back up? There's a reason. Do you remember what Adam and Eve did after they bit the apple? They felt ashamed and embarrassed. They knew they had disobeyed God. So they "sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves." (Genesis 3:7)

Often we still try to make modern day fig leaves to cover our sins before God. We'll use the fig leaf of: the good person rule; philanthropies; environmental green-living; religion and morality. However, there are no fig leaves big enough to hide our sin from God.

Scriptures says, "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account." Hebrews 4:13

God sees everything. Even those secret sins and the secret sins of the heart. Yikes!

When Jesus went to the Cross to bear your sins and mine, He didn't have any 'fig leaves' to cover Himself. He was uncovered and bare before the eyes of God.

Most of the pictures we see of Jesus on the Cross, He's covered with a loin cloth around His waist. In actuality, He was naked.

When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took His clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for the each of them, with the undergarments remaining. "Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it." This happened that the Scripture might be fulfilled which said, "They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." So this is what the soldiers did.

John 19:23-24

Jesus was physically and spiritually naked before God so that you and I could be clothed.

Jesus took the filthy garments of that horrible sin (s) plus the everyday junk we can get ourselves into. And He gave us His perfect, spotless robe of righteousness.

On Judgement Day, you and I will be dressed in His righteousness before God because He wore the disgusting garments of our sin.

Tomorrow: The darkness that fell on the land between 12pm and 3pm. How is this relevant in my life?

Lessons from the Criminals Beside Jesus

"But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."

Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus answered him,"I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

Luke 23:40-43

The criminals executed with Jesus have long been such an encouragement to me. Both criminals hurled insults at Him, then one reconsidered. Let me share several thoughts of relevancy for today.

1. The criminal who says, "Don't you fear God," quite possibly had a good upbringing. He may have had a godly mother, father or grandmother. He had been taught right from wrong. But somewhere along the way, he got involved with the wrong crowd.

Now at the point of death, all that he had been taught as a child bubbled up within his heart. I firmly believed his fear of God was rekindled. He wanted to be right with God before dying. Oh, how I hope that encourages someone today who may have a wayward child.

2. Jesus' response to the criminal's faith should encourage all of us. Matthew and Mark tell us they were robbers. They were criminals and deserved punishment.

Yet when the criminal acknowledged his sins and affirmed his belief in Jesus - notice Jesus' response. He didn't command him to come down from the cross to be baptized or to be christened or to join the church or go through confirmation. Nor do we see Jesus questioning whether his good works outweighed his bad works during the span of his life time. The one criminal who turned to Christ at the last minute was accepted and promised a home in heaven! "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

As long as we or someone we know and love has breathe, it's never too late for them to turn to Christ. Persevere in your prayers for them. Never give up on them. Keep praying! (Wonder if it was the prayers of the criminal's mother that brought him back? We'll never know this side of heaven.)

3. Notice how Jesus wins the criminal to God... Jesus wasn't begging them to come to faith; He wasn't pounding them over the head with His Bible. It wasn't even telling them how close they were to hell. (And they were!)

His actions brought about conviction in the heart of the criminal. What were His actions? He was asking God to forgive those who were badly mistreating Him. (Luke 23:34). He was not retaliating to the insults. (Matt. 27:44; Mark 15:32). He was making sure His mother would be cared for. (John 19:26-27). Jesus was living His life in a way that was bringing honor to God - even in the midst of intense suffering.

When we live our lives in a way that brings honor to God, others will want to know our Jesus.

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  When we have joy and peace in our countenance despite our difficult circumstances...


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  When we have lots to worry about, but we are choosing to trust God with our concerns.


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  When we are in our "right" to retaliate - and we don't.


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  When love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, humility, gentleness and self-control flows through us to others -especially when they don't deserve it - others will notice.

God's Word is so relevant to our generation!!! I hope you are encouraged today.

Tomorrow: Nakedness and the Darkness

Have a great day!

Following at a Distance...

Luke 22:54

Then seizing Him, they led Him away and took Him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance.

As we go back to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, lets use a magnifying glass to look closer at the lessons and how they relate to us today in everyday life.

In your Christian walk, have you ever felt like a total failure? Have you ever played it safe, when you should have spoken up? Have you found yourself following Jesus at a distance so that you can fit in with the people around you?

I know I have - and still do if I'm not careful. In fact, I used to have 2 personalities for my 2 sets of friends: my Bible study friends and my other friends. I just wanted to fit in. Can you relate? There are times that I wonder how God can even use a failure such as myself.


Well, just like me, Peter was a failure too. He had almost provoked a riot in the Garden by cutting off the ear of the Roman soldier. And when his best friend, Jesus, needed him most, he denied even knowing Him - three different times! Now keep in mind, Peter was a man who had sworn 'if all the other disciples forsook Jesus, he wouldn't. He would die for Him.'

Why did Peter do this? Why do we sometimes follow Jesus at a distance?

Because we, like Peter, are not prayed up. Therefore, we not prepared to stand firm in our social circles, in family gatherings or at work, school, play groups, etc...

How do we keep from following Jesus from a distance? From playing it safe?

By not sleeping when we should be praying and spending time with God. Spending time with God gives us supernatural power and strength to stand firm when we should speak up or behave in a way that is far different than others around us.

Look at Jesus' example. He prayed and endured the long, torturous hours. Peter failed to pray and failed miserably.

Ephesians 6:10 gives us more insight. "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Spending time each day with Jesus enables us to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Sometimes our quiet time isn't enough. Pray before going into difficult or tempting situations. It'll give you the spiritual strength you need to stand firm.

What do we do when we fail Jesus as Peter did?

I personally know the humiliation Peter felt. Instead of repressing our shame and guilt (as Judas did) - Confess it to the Lord. When we do, we'll be able to experience the same forgiveness and restoration Peter experienced! (John 21:15-22)

Tomorrow: The 2 criminals beside Jesus' Cross. Luke 23:32, 39-43

Happy Easter Sunday

I feel like I just dropped you off 2 days ago. And as I study this morning, there's so much - I don't even know where to begin... But one thing I do know, the Bible is relevant. And the events that happened surrounding Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection are relevant to us in the 21st century.

As you read this, it'll be Easter Sunday. I'd rather you give you a blog/devotion today continuing the death of Jesus - but today - I think it's important to focus on the empty grave. Thank you God the empty grave!!! Where would we be without the empty grave?!!

So just as Christmas is important - so is Easter! Easter deserves more than a week of attention. The relevancy in our generation is not worth glossing over. We'll continue next week with the relevancy of:

• The 3 hours of darkness on the Cross. It was from 12pm-3pm. Supernatural, utter darkness occurred during the middle of the day. How does that relate to us today and why is it important?





• The earthquake that followed; the "curtain" in the temple being torn into. What is this all about? Why is it important to us today?




• The significance of who buried Jesus.




• Resurrection Sunday came! And how this can be such an encouragement to us in times of hardship.

So join me next week, as we go back to the foundations of what we believe as Christians and why we believe them. These are lessons that deserve more than a 'drive-by'.

Thank you for your notes of encouragement last week - especially on Friday. Many days it was so hard to post due to meetings, interruptions, emergencies, and just life. Your notes have spurred me to keep keeping on. Angie's comment on Friday is priceless. She hungered for more than "the sanitized version of the crucifixion," that we often get. I hope you feel the same way. It's a privilege to serve you. I'm praying for you. See you next week.

Happy Easter!

Love,

What was Jesus Doing on Good Friday?

It's Good Friday! You probably have the day off from work. What kind of fun things will you do on the first day of your long weekend? Are you at the beach? Are you at the movies? Are you shopping? Are you running errands? Are you having lunch with a girlfriend?

Today, I want to share what Jesus was doing on Good Friday. What you'll read is not to make you feel bad or to heap guilt on you for planning a fun day. But it is to make us mindful and thankful. Today's reading is not for the weak-hearted. Our reading is graphic and is almost too much to bear. My attempt at sharing this information is not to gross you out. But to give you a glimpse of the price that Jesus paid for you and for me. Let's tread reverently. For we are on holy ground.

Trial #6 - Pilate for the final time. It's approximately 8:00am (Don't forget He's been up all night.)

Scripture records that Pilate desperately wanted to free Jesus. Something in him gave him no peace at executing Jesus. (His own wife sent him a message saying, "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of Him." Matt.27:19)

The Flogging
So in order to appease the Jewish people, Pilate orders Jesus to be flogged. Do you know what flogging means? Take a deep breathe, it's gruesome.

Jesus was stripped of all but His loincloth. He was tied with His face to a post. Using a whip of leather thongs tipped with metal bits, a soldier whipped Him. The whip would rip the flesh off of His back. His internal organs would have been exposed. The whipping would have gone from the shoulders down the back, to the buttocks and to the back of the legs. A flogging normally consisted of 39 lashes, depending on the mood of the soldier. It was beyond horrible. History records that victims would either go insane, go into unconsciousness or died.

The miracle is not that Jesus survived it - but that He submitted to it. At any point He could have called down a legion of angels and had them sent straight to hell. But He didn't. Keep in mind that the Cross was what would bring atonement for sin, not the flogging. The flogging was not part of the deal. Nor was the beating; nor the crown of thorns that was placed upon His brow following the intense beating. To add insult to injury, remember sweating drops of blood from a few days ago? This would have made His skin especially sensitive.

Following the beating, Pilate again tries to free Jesus - but the Jews press 'just the right the buttons' with Pilate saying: "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar." There it is. Caesar is someone Pilate desperately wants to impress. So what happens? Jesus gets thrown under the bus. Pilate hands Jesus over to the Jews for execution. How quickly do we throw Jesus under the bus when we are around someone we want to impress?

It's approximately 9:00am.

The Crucifixion

If you are like me, you've grown accustomed to seeing the image of Jesus on a Cross. His hands are nailed down - His head bowed as if death has just occurred. It's become the emblem of the Christian faith. Before becoming desensitized to the image, let's take a closer look at what was happening.

According to ancient custom, the cross was placed on the ground. Then Christ would have been stretched out on it. Can you imagine His back - raw and exposed from the flogging - having to lay down on the wood?

According to Lee Strobal, in The Case for Easter, "The Romans used spikes that were 5-7 inches long and tapered to a sharp point. They were driven through the wrists, about an inch or so below His left palm. This was a solid position that would lock the hand; if the nails had driven through the palms, His weight would have caused the skin to tear and He would have fallen off the cross. So the nails went through the wrists. The wrists were considered part of the hand in the language of the day. The pain would have been absolutely unbearable."

Then the nails would have been driven through His feet. Strobal writes, "again, the nerves in His feet would have been crushed, and there would have been excrutiating pain."

Crucifixion is essentially an agonizingly slow death by asphyxiation. In order to exhale, Jesus would have to push up on His feet, breathe, release. Push up, breathe, release. Doing this again and again with His flogged back going up and down. Jesus was on the Cross from 9am - 3pm.

Six hours of intense agony. The last three hours being the worst - When Jesus would become sin...

This is what Jesus was doing on the Friday before Easter.

The Arrest and the Trials

Today's Reading: Luke 22:47-23:12 John 18: 1-27

Jesus has finished His prayer time and we see Judas leading a detachment of soldiers to arrest Him. (Detachment = 200-600 soldiers.)

Let's look at all Jesus is dealing with emotionally as He is dragged away.

• Judas, one in His own inner circle has betrayed Him for 30 silver coins. (The price of a wounded slave.) Although Jesus knew it was coming, it must have felt like someone had punched Him in the gut. His heartbreak is recorded in Psalm 55:12-14 - "If an enemy were insulting Me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising Himself against me, I could hide from Him. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of God." Can't you hear the pain and the disappointment?

Have you ever experienced betrayal - by a friend; a spouse; a parent; a child? Jesus understands because He too has experienced betrayal.

• Peter draws his sword and cuts off the ear of one of the soldiers. Peter didn't have a clue what the will of God was because he had been sleeping when he should have been praying. His actions could have caused the slaughter of the disciples in the Garden. Jesus' 3-year ministry into the lives of these men would have been destroyed along with the gospel message. (By the way, Jesus reattached the soldiers ear.)

How often do we misunderstand God's will for our lives because we've slept through our prayer time?

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  All the disciples desert Him. Peter, one of the inner 3, would later deny knowing Him 3 different times. (Luke 22:54-62)

How often do we deny knowing Him with our silence? With our behavior? With our attempts at bowing to political correctness? By calling ourselves a Christian, but not acting like one?

The Trials - There's so much - but in an attempt at brevity, I've chosen the high points.

Jesus allows Himself to be dragged from trial to trial. The decision for the death penalty has already been decided. The religious leaders must come up with a legitimate reason to have the Romans execute Him.

1. Trial #1 - Anas, Former High Priest ~2:30am

2. Trial #2 - Caiaphas, High Priest ~ 3:00am

Jesus is blind-folded and mocked at this trial. Otherwise dignified rulers spit on His face and strike Him with their fists. Others slap Him. And Jesus, the Son of God, your Savior and mine, stood meekly and allowed the assault.

3. Trial #3 - The Sanhedrin ~ 5:00am

4. Trial #4 - Pilate, the Roman Governor ~ 6:00am

The Sanhedrin assembly leads Jesus to Pilate. In order for Pilate to take the case, they begin leveling false accusations such as: "He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar." "He's subverting our nation." (Pitiful- What liars.)

After talking to Jesus, Pilate can't find any reason to charge Him. He's thrilled when he finds out that Jesus is from Galilee. It's Herod's jurisdiction - He sends Jesus to Herod.

5. Trial #5 - Herod

Herod, just a short time prior, had John the Baptist beheaded at the request of his stepdaughter. Herod had liked John and had been intrigued with his messages - but never made the attempt to respond. I guess he was too busy. Jesus knew this and as a result, refused to speak. Herod tells Jesus to perform a miracle. It's as if he wants to see a magic trick. Yet Herod is met with deafening silence.

Does Jesus seem silent in your life? What was the last thing He asked you to do? Did you do it? We have to respond to the Truth we are given in church, in a devotion or through a godly friend. If we do not, we may risk His silence in our lives as well.

Herod and his minions ridicule Jesus and mock Him as they dress Him in an elegant robe sending Him back to Pilate.

Tomorrow:

Trial #6 - Before Pilate for the final time; Flogging - what does that mean? Crucified - the details of what happens to the body.

The Garden of Gethsemane

It's late Thursday night/early Friday morning. Our time machine has landed on a small ridge east of the city of Jerusalem. The moon is full. Jesus and His disciples have just shared the Last Supper. One of the disciples, Judas, as slipped away from the group. Jesus is leading the 11 into the Garden of Gethsemane. There's lots to see and absorb. I apologize ahead of time for the length...

In order to understand your surroundings, read:

Luke 22:39-46

Matthew 26:36-46

What we can see...

Jesus instructs 8 of His disciples to "Sit here while I go over there and pray." (Isn't it interesting that He has not told the 8 to pray? Just an observation... A lesson for another day.)

Jesus instructs a group of 3 - Peter, James, and John - His best friends, to walk a little further. He begins to tell them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and pray with Me." Peter, James and John have NEVER seen Jesus like this. In fact, it's the first time in Scripture that we see Jesus in this condition.

Going a little farther, He falls with His face to the ground and begins desperately pleading, "Abba, Father [Daddy], everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me..."

Jesus is clearly rattled and unnerved. No where in the Gospels do we see Jesus in this frame of mind.

What's happening that we can't see...

He knows what's coming. The prophet Isaiah, gives us a glimpse into what Jesus is thinking and what He's facing. Isaiah paints a picture the Gospels do not give us.

• "His appearance will be disfigured beyond that of any man and His form will be marred beyond human likeness." (52:14)

Will it be the beatings? The flogging? The crucifixion that causes Jesus to take this disfigured form? Yes, part of it. But even bigger than that... Jesus was preparing to BECOME sin. He Who had never sinned; Who was totally perfect; Who never had a bad thought or uttered a sinful word or did anything wrong in God's sight - would take on everything bad you and I have said; everything bad that you and I have done; every bad thought we have had.

Sin is a serious offense in God's eyes. Today our culture seems to water it down so that it seems less offensive. Personal responsibility has taken a back seat and our sin is often blamed on others; or on our circumstances; or on an addiction or disease. We think this will somehow excuse bad behavior. However, God does not water down sin. Sin is sin. There are consequences for sin. Someone must atone in order for sin to be forgiven and to be right in God's eyes. Jesus knew that He was born in the world for such a time as this. But it didn't make it easy for Him. In fact, what He was asking the Father in essence was, "Is there any other way???"

What is the most horrendous sin you have ever committed? What sin habits are you currently entrapped? What in your past are you horribly ashamed?

• The penalty for that sin - the penalty that you and I deserve - Jesus was about to take the penalty for us. We live at peace with God because Jesus voluntarily took the bullet for us. Isaiah says, "the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him."

When was the last time you thanked Him for taking your punishment?

• Jesus was preparing to be separated from His Father. Don't forget, Jesus was with God in the beginning. (John 1:1-3; Genesis 1-2) They had never been separated. Jesus knew that on the Cross, when He became sin, God would turn away from Him. This was almost more than He could handle. It was almost too high a price.

Sweating Drops of Blood???

We see His anguish as He's wrestling in prayer. In fact, the more earnestly He prays, He's sweating drops of blood - blood that's falling to the ground. Could this be a figment of our imagination? Is He really sweating drops of blood?

This very uncommon medical condition is called hermatidrosis. Lee Strobal explains in The Case for Easter, that this is associated with a high degree of psychological stress. "What happens is that severe anxiety causes the release of chemicals that break down the capillaries in the sweat glands. As a result, there's a small amount of bleeding into these glands and the sweat comes out tinged with blood." The other effect this has on the human body is that it "sets up the skin to be extremely fragile so that when Jesus is flogged by the Roman soldier the next day, His skin would be very, very sensitive."

Where is Everybody?

Where are His friends - at the time He needs them most? Where is God? Is He listening? Or is He remotely detached from His the cries of His suffering Boy?

The disciples? His best friends... the ones He begged to pray with Him - are sleeping. (Have you ever felt like the ones you need the most are unengaged and detached emotionally in your time of need? Jesus knows how you feel...)

God? He loves you and I so much - He knows there's no other way. So instead of turning a blind eye to pleading of His Son, we all of a sudden see an angel! God has sent an angel from heaven to strengthen Jesus in His time of need. To give Him the mantle of strength that He would need for the journey ahead.

When was the last time you received a phone call; an email; a check; a break through - just in time? This came from your Father - Who will never turn a blind eye to you. His ways and His timing are perfect.

You and I were on Jesus' mind and heart that night in the Garden. He sweat drops of blood at the thought of living in eternity without you.

Preparing Our Hearts for Easter

This week, will be a short week for many of us. We'll have either Friday or Monday off. If you have children or grandchildren, you'll possibly attend an Easter egg hunt. We'll possibly buy new church clothes. We'll put on our Sunday best; we'll gather with family; we'll eat ham or whatever your family eats. Perhaps some of us will receive a visit from the Easter bunny.

But how many of us will stop and ponder why we get to celebrate this holiday? The greatest event that has ever happened to mankind will be celebrated this weekend - the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. But will we overlook what it took in order for us to celebrate? Will we ignore the meaning of Easter and hope for an inspiring message on Sunday to get us in "the true mood" for Easter?

I accepted Christ as my Savior when I was a little girl. But I never really understood the significance of the Cross. The phrase, "Jesus died to save me from my sins" were just memorized rote words. I had no idea what they actually meant.

My first job out of college, I found myself having lunch with a co-worker. She was a beautiful, Spirit-filled, Christ follower. (She was literally a very beautiful woman inside and out.) There was something different about her - she knew Jesus personally - and it showed. I wanted to know her Jesus. So in honest confession - I asked her - "What does 'Jesus died on the cross to save me from my sin' actually mean?" I confessed that I had "prayed the prayer," but didn't really understand what it meant.

She wisely responded by telling me that she would ask God to explain it to me. (I proceeded to ask her if I should expect to hear a voice! She laughed and briefly explained what I blogged about last week.)

A year and a half later, I had forgotten the encounter with my co-worder, but God had not. Sitting in Bible study one night - my eyes were opened to the meaning of the cross. I'll never forget it. I was 24 years old. Although I only saw a glimpse of the true meaning, the glimpse changed my life. I've not been the same since.

God has put on my heart to lead you, as best I can, to the Cross and to the tomb this week. Please know that I do not know everything - I too can only see but a glimpse. But everytime I study the Cross, the glimpse gets a little more clear. I so desire for you to see firsthand - perhaps for the first time or in a fresh way what Jesus dying on the Cross really means.

Please don't let this be an academic or a historic walk for you. I'm praying that the Holy Spirit will give you eyes to see the Cross up close and personal. But let me warn you, it will be graphic and appalling. This walk is not for the weak hearted. There are some days, that you may be moved to tears. If you are - that's a good sign.

I won't be able to cover every detail. I'll prayerfully choose the highpoints to stay within the week's time frame. So if you're up for the trip back into time, climb with me into our time machine. Our first stop: the Garden.

My Desire for Breast Implants

Job 33:14

"For God does speak - now one way, now another..."

Can't believe that I'm going to share this. But in an attempt to illustrate how personal God is - I'll do it...

After giving birth to my second child, I all of a sudden had something that I have never had: Breasts! They were amazing! Finally, after all these years, God not only gave me a beautiful daughter, but He gave me breasts!!! But then months later, they began to disappear as suddenly as they appeared. I was determined not to allow this to happen.

You see, all the way back in the sixth grade, when girls were starting to develop - I never did. I'd stuff my bra in order to fit in with my friends. The older we grew - the more developed my friends would become. Me? Let's just say I developed at a MUCH slower rate.

So the opportunity to finally have some - and then have to lose them - was NOT an option. I figured God had "allowed" breast implants to be invented for poor souls like me. So I concocted a plan: as soon as Caroline was able to climb into her car seat by herself - I would get breast implants. I even researched how long the recovery period would be; how much it would cost; what my limitations would be. I was determined. I was even warning my mother and mother-in-law to get prepared. They would roll their eyes or try to talk me out of it. But there was no talking me out of it - this was a done deal.

But, one afternoon after putting my children down for simultaneous naps, I was reading my Bible. My reading that day was out of 1 Corinthians 6.

I have never heard the audible voice of God, but what I read might as well have been His audible voice. It was spoken so loud and so clear that there was no denying that this was God. And He was speaking about His views for me and breast implants.

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."

(1 Cor. 6:19-20; italics mine)

"You are not your own - you were bought at a price..." Those words rang in my ear. They stung. Needless to say, it was not what I wanted to hear.

Now please know - that this Word was for me. If you have chosen the path of breast implants, this is not to condemn you. What you do is between you and God. I had no idea that God would one day call me to a speaking and writing ministry. I figure He must want me to represent flat chested women every where! (I don't know!) But one thing was certain - God was interested (and still is) in the details and the desires of my heart. He's interested in yours as well.

The only reason why I'm sharing this is to illustrate how personal our God is. He will speak to you about the desires of your heart. He'll plant hopes and dreams in your heart. He'll give you promises concerning His perfect will for you - But you MUST:

1. Know Him personally.

2. Believe that He will speak to you - expect to hear His voice.

3. Make sure you are not cherishing sin in your heart. And you MUST

4. Make sure you are spending time each day with Him. And then

5. Do what He tells you to do. Do not disobey. You'll risk cherishing sin in your heart!

If you still have questions about hearing the voice of God, will you contact me or leave a comment? I want to help you grow in this area.

Have a great weekend!

Next Week: Preparing our Hearts for Easter!

Receiving a Word

Jeremiah 33:3

"Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."

Over the last week, I've been writing about the importance of going to God with our problems and our concerns and our issues. When our hearts are broken and our circumstances are bleak - what or who do we have??? Scripture says that, "He sends forth His Word and it brings healing." (Psalm 107:20) Sadly, I often find, and am sometimes guilty, of God being last Person I go to. Trying everything else - and when all else fails - pressing the God button.

God should be our first line of defense. He'll speak His Words into our lives - bringing healing, comfort and peace despite the circumstances we can find ourselves. Scripture even says "that the Holy Spirit will tell us the things to come." (John 16:13) It goes on to say that "He'll take from what is Mine [Jesus] and make it known to you." (v14)

How do we "receive a Word" from Him? By going to our Bibles - by asking Him to speak into the depths of our heart - by reading/studying with purpose and our issues in mind. The Bible promises that when we seek Him with all our hearts - we'll be found by Him. (Jer. 29:13)

Quite often it's a word; a phrase; or a sentence that jumps off the page at us and into our hearts. We'll often think - "well that's a coincidence." But it's not! It's the voice of your God - speaking to you. Begin to learn and identify that this is the voice of your God!

Isn't it amazing? Almost mind-blowing that the God of the Universe will speak to us. He'll not only speak to us, but He'll speak to us personally and intimately about the details of our life. He'll tell us great and unsearchable things we do not know.

So what great pondering is going on in your heart today? Whatever it is, know with great confidence, that God is interested in the smallest details, as well as the large details of your life. Go to Him and allow Him to shed His wisdom into your circumstances. His Word - changes everything...

Tomorrow: When He spoke to me concerning the desire of my heart:

breast implants...

Reason #4...

Women will often share the pain they are experiencing in their lives with me. What a privilege to be trusted with such information. I'll hear stories of cancer, children who are in rebellion; big decisions that need to be made. Stories of marital unfaithfulness, of broken relationships, of broken homes and of broken dreams. As these women share their stories or if I'm experiencing any of the above in my own life - the first question I wonder, if not ask is:

What does your time with the Lord look like? Are you reading your Bible and spending time each day in prayer?

The answer - more often than not - is "no."

Reason #4 we do not hear God's voice: We do not spend time with Him.

Psalm 107:19-20

"Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He sent forth His Word and healed them; He rescued them from the grave."

Oh, that's good stuff! But how can we expect to hear from the Lord - to hear words of comfort - to receive words of healing - to be rescued from the pits that our circumstances often bring if we are neglecting our quiet time? Will it happen by osmosis? Albert Einstein defined insanity as: "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Do we expect healing to come from a girlfriend? Our husbands? (As great as they may be, they make very poor gods.) From busyness so that we can ignore the issue and hope it'll just go away and resolve itself? (Perhaps it eventually will.) But in the meantime -what is your state of mind? Are you stuck in the pit and with each passing day inching closer to hopelessness and depression?

GO TO THE LORD!

Be still before Him. He is waiting to comfort you, to love on you and to give you encouragement. Stop doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Ask the Lord to speak to you from His Word. To give you a promise - something to cling to in the midst of your trials. Scripture promises that He will!

Our circumstances may not immediately change - but by spending regular, quality time with Him - we will change. His Word alone - spoken into the depth of our brokenness can heal and transform our broken hearts to joy, peace, and contentment.

It is miraculous and possible. But we must first go to Him.

If you do not know how to get started in a quiet time or need a fresh spark to your time with the Lord, consider getting my Bible study Intimacy with God, Establishing a Vibrant Quiet Time and Prayer Time. It is a resource that has helped ignite a fresh spark in the lives of many women as they seek to hear the precious voice of God in their everyday circumstances. Have a great day!

Cherishing Sin?

"If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened."

Psalm 66:18

Are you a believer, but God seems silent? Perhaps you read your Bible or daily devotion each day, but it seems flat or rote? Last week, I started sharing reasons that we do not hear God's voice speaking to us. Let me quickly review:

Reason #1: We do not belong to Him. (John 1:12)

Reason #2: Unbelief - do you really believe that God will speak to you? (John 8:47)

Reason #3: Cherishing sin in our heart.

If we belong to God and we are cherishing sin in our heart, we will not hear from Him. What is sin that we often cherish? Sin that flies under the radar - sin that often no one sees. Let me name a few:

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  unforgiveness toward another


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  bitterness


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  anger


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  holding grudges


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  resentfulness


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  a secret fantasy life


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  emotional affairs with a man in your sphere of influence


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  flirtiness with other men


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  critical spirit; judgemental toward others


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  complaining heart

Do any of these apply to you? What kind of baggage are you holding on to? Do you realize the blessing you are missing?

When we are hurting deeply, there is not a person in the world or a pill we can take or a drink we can drink or food we can eat that can compare to the counsel and the guidance of the Lord God Almighty. Listen to this treasure:

"I will listen to what God the Lord will say; He promises peace to His people, His saints - but let them not return to folly." Psalm 85:8

In other words, we will hear the sound of God's voice in our ear and we will experience the peace that surpasses all understanding - but if we return to cherishing sin in our hearts - we risk silencing His voice in our life.

Ask the Lord if there is any sin that you may be cherishing in your heart. If there is, He'll bring it quickly to mind. When He does, go to your knees. Do not resist Him. Confess the sin He is bringing to your mind. Ask Him for moment by moment help throughout your day to overcome. Be willing to turn away from it.

Once you do this, know in your heart that God has heard and receive His forgiveness: Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord" - and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Psalm 32:5

More tomorrow!

Have a great day:)

What Keeps us From Hearing God's Voice?

The Bible says that God "knows the plans He has for us. Plans to prosper us and not harm us, plans to give us a hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11) Yet it's hard to believe these words of hope when we are bombarded by disappointments and brokenness. The Bible promises that if we seek Him with all our heart - we'll find Him. But what keeps us from hearing the voice of God? How can we be filled with His hope - when the tidal wave of pain paralyzes our emotions? Today, I will address 2 reasons we do not hear the voice of God.

John 8:47

"He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God."

First Reason we do not hear the voice of God: NOT truly belonging to God.

Do you belong to God? Are you one of His children? Can you remember when you made the deliberate decision to accept Him as Savior of your life? The Bible says in John 1:12, "Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God." This is how we know we belong to God: by believing and receiving Him into our lives.

My sister, a Children's Ministry Director explains that it is as easy as A-B-C.

A = Admit you are a sinner.

B= Believe that Jesus died on the Cross for YOU.

C= Confess that you want Him to be your Lord.

Girlfriend, if you cannot remember when you did this - do it today!

2nd Reason we can't hear the voice of God: Unbelief

Let's review the first part of today's key verse:

John 8:47 - He who belongs to God hears what God says.

Do you believe that God still speaks? Perhaps He used to speak during Biblical times, but certainly He doesn't speak anymore today? Or, do you think that He only speaks to the preachers, teachers and special people. The perfect people? The almost perfect people? Think again!

The Bible says, that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." In order to be filled with hope despite the circumstantial tidal waves of uncertainty, disappointment and heart break, we must first believe that He will speak to us!

Do you believe? Be honest with yourself - do you really believe that God will speak to you? Healing come come; Purpose can come; Comfort can come from One and One Source only - The Words of God found in the Bible. Listen to one of my favorite treasures -

Psalm 107:20 "He sent forth His word and healed them."

If we want healing from God, we've got to believe that He is still a God Who speaks and is willing to speak personally to you!

More to come...

Heartbreak, Disappointment and Broken Dreams

I'm working on some intriging thoughts with marriage - not quite ready to post - Stay tuned to next week. In the meantime, I'd love to address a heartbreaking note I received last week from a woman who is dealing with infertility. As I began praying for her, I started to think about all the women who may be experiencing disappointment, heartbreak or a shattered dream. I'll break this into 2 segments. Today is Part 1.

John 10:3-4

"He calls His own sheep by name... His sheep follow Him because they know His voice."

I'll never forget the first time I realized that the God of the Universe was speaking to me. It was following an OB/GYN visit, after having discovered that I miscarried our first baby. My husband and I were devastated. The following morning in my quiet time, I flipped to the Psalms, as was my normal custom. That particular day - I was on Psalm 113. Listen to the precious words found in verse 9:

"He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children."

Could this be the God of the Universe speaking to me? Could this verse really be saying what I was hoping it was saying? Or was this just some cruel coincidence? I decided to believe that this was Jesus. And it was. Jesus was speaking through the words of the Bible into the depths of my wounded heart.

Through this one sentence, God gave me a promise that I would never forget and hold close to my heart for years to come. The promise He gave me through those 14 words were:

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  That I would become pregnant again-


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  That I would have more than one child-


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  That I would be a stay-at-home mother-


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  That I would be happy and content in this challenging role-

Four years later - He fulfilled this promise.

If you are in a place of utter despair - go the Lord and ask Him to give you a promise. Ask Him to reveal His will to you. The Bible says in Jeremiah 29:13: "You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,"declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity."

What captivity are you currently in? Is it a broken relationship; a broken dream; a huge disappointment? The precious woman who sent the note is in the captivity of infertility. However, we all at one time or another, find ourselves in a captivity of some kind or another. I pray that by sharing my story - that I by no means tease her or lead her to think that I know the will of God for her life. I do not know if it is God's will for her to have a child. But these 3 things I KNOW - and I hope it encourages her and you as well:

#1. God speaks and He will speak clearly and personally to us through the Words of the Bible.

#2. Despite the depth of pain our circumstances can bring, God is crazy in love with her (and you) and has a plan for her life. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." (v29)

#3. God is willing to reveal is will to her - to you - and to me. But we must first go to Him. We must seek Him with all our heart.

Then... we will know His plan and purposes in the midst of our brokenness.

Tomorrow: What keeps us from hearing from God?

Words Matter

Philippians 4:8

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lively, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.

My 40th birthday was Friday! And my husband has absolutely spoiled me. He's calling it "Taraukkah"! (After Hanukkah) Please KNOW that I'm not trying to be boastful or elicit any form of coveting. (Trust me, I have my fair share of issues.) But I want to give a shout-out to him because he's awesome and so is my family. Birthday's are big in our family. In fact, my Dad started sending "it's coming" emails 2 days prior to April 1st. And my husband proclaimed last Wednesday - "that the birthday week shall commence!" And it has! In fact, I'm sick of me. But Tim's thoughtfulness, creativity, and effort has touched my heart more than I can ever really communicate to him. He has truly focused on my favorite things, my favorite foods and my favorite people. Though I've tried to communicate my gratitude - my cup still overflows from his thoughtfulness.

The other reason I'm sharing this is NOT to elicit "happy birthday's" from each of you, but to spring board today's topic - How are we talking to our men? Are we glass 1/2 empty girls or are we glass 1/2 full girls? Are we using our WORDS to thank and praise our men? Today's work culture is cut throat. Many men do not have jobs. But the ones who do - I can assure you - they are not hearing words of affirmation from their bosses in the workplace. So what about at home? Are they hearing words of affirmation and appreciation from you? Just as we are starving for our love language to be met by our husbands, they too are starving for words of praise and encouragement. Let me give you some examples:

• "Thank you for taking out the trash."


• "Thank you for going to work today."


• "Thank you for giving the kids a bath."


• "You look so nice. Your butt looks great in those pants!" (Sorry girls, but this is real life- let's be real!)


• "You are such a great father."


• "You are such a thoughtful and wonderful husband. Thank you for being such a great provider."

Even if your husband only does one thing - and you wish he'd do MUCH MORE - thank him for that one thing. Perhaps if you begin to thank him on a regular basis, he'll begin to do more. Anytime your husband puts forth an effort - notice it and thank him for it. RESIST all temptation to focus any negatives.

Our husband's may be big and macho on the outside - but on the inside - most of them are very sensitive. Our words make a difference. I want to challenge you to make a list of 10 things that you love about your husband. Place your list in your prayer journal. Go back over it as often as needed. This will enable you to "think about the excellent or praiseworthy" things in your marriage. THEN COMMUNICATE IT!

Have a super day!